By: Jonathan Ibias, Amy Lee, Qahir Hirani and Theodora Lo

1. Deserts By: Jonathan Ibias, Amy Lee, Qahir Hirani and Theodora Lo

2. Where are deserts located? Deserts are only located in some continents. These continents are North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Hot deserts are usually between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. Cold deserts are usually located in the polar regions. 1.World's driest desert:The Atacama 2.World's oldest desert: The Namib 3.World's largest hot desert: The Sahara 4.World's largest sand dune area: The Empty Quarter 5.World's largest polar desert: Antarctica 6.World's lowest spot: In the Negev Desert 7.World's highest temperature: In the eastern Sahara

3. What makes the desert an extreme environment? Desert is an extreme environment because it is a region that receives very little precipitation and its vegetation cover is sparse to almost nonexistent. There are different forms of deserts. Hot deserts are hot and dry. Cold deserts are covered in snow or ice, which makes plant life not available. Cold deserts are too cold to live in like the arctic deserts.

4. What technology is used to explore the desert? Some vehicles used in this environment would be cars and planes. Tools used in this environment would be compasses and satellites. Also deserts are seen as sources for solar energy. The Negev Desert has become the centre of the Israeli solar industry and solar collectors are built in the Mojave Desert of California. Modern technology, including advanced irrigation systems and air conditioning have made deserts much more hospitable. In the United States and Israel for example, desert farming has found extensive use. Large irrigation projects transport water for many miles to produce large crops in places like the interior desert valleys of California, Arizona, Colorado, and Texas in the United States.

5. Canadian Contributions Scientists with Environment Canada and the province of B.C. have made effort to conserve habitat in South Okanagan, B.C. for species migrating between the dry grasslands of the B.C. interior and the desert areas of the western United States. They worked to conserve biodiversity and restore species at risk in the region.

6. More Canadian Contributions The Canadian Osoyoos Desert Society was founded in 1991 to preserve the unique desert of Osoyoos. The desert area protects plant species at risk. It protects over 100 rare plants and over 300 rare invertebrates in Canada.

7. Other Interesting Information Deserts take up one- fifth of the world. Hot deserts are hot in the daytime and cool in the night. Bobcats come out at night. Desert areas are being threatened by a rapid population growth. Highest sand dune recorded is in the Sahara Desert-1410 feet high.

8. Desert Picture by Amy Lee Camel

9. Sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertclimate http://library.thinkquest.org/6225/jordan1.htm http://weathersavvy.com/desert1_OPT.jpg http://www.calacademy.org/exhibits/africa/exhibit/sahara/tu reg/6.htm http://www.naham.org/images/Compass.jpg http://www.phototravels.net/namibia/ndp2/namib-desert-air p-50.2.jpg http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200809061 3934AA9rWSv http://www.ec.gc.ca/science/sandenov00/article2_e.html